Graphical displays have been used in connection with fire, security and environmental control systems in multistory buildings to present status and location information pertaining to fires, security breaches or environmental conditions. In known displays, building objects and features can be overlaid as graphical icons on two dimensional graphical floor plans of the building. The location of objects such as various types of detectors, high value assets, hazardous materials and the like can be presented on the displays. They can also illustrate building features such as firewalls, ductwork, stand pipes, elevators, pressurized stairways, and access doors.
The process becomes more complicated when the building has multiple floors. In such instances, controls need to be provided to enable the user of the display to vertically navigate to the different floors of the building. For example, many high rise buildings have more than a hundred floors. The vertical navigation control systems need to be able to respond to such a large number of floors.
There continues to be a need for vertical navigation control systems usable with multiple floor buildings which provide intuitive and simplicity of operation. This is particularly important when events such as an alarmed detector or an activated intrusion device need to be investigated. The operator must be able to manipulate the display under conditions of extreme time pressure and stress so as to evaluate the location as well as the extent of the situation in the building to determine if an emergency is present. Preferably such navigation control systems and methods would be readily understandable and useable by operators with little or no computer skills, limited reading vision and perhaps no prior training relative to the display system.
Preferably such an improved systems and methods can be incorporated into both new and existing systems with limited manufacturing and cost impact.